Dram shop laws in Texas involve providing alcohol. The term dram shop originally came from 18th century England. There were bars and pubs that sold a spoonful of gin. This was called a dram. Today the law considers any establishment that sales alcohol to be a dram shop.
Texas Dram Shop Law
When a retail establishment provides alcohol to an obviously drunk person, they can be held liable. Liability is on the company when any of their employees serve alcohol to a person who is clearly intoxicated.
We have all seen movies where the bar stops a person from ordering additional drinks because they are so intoxicated. They do this to avoid dram shop laws, not because they don’t want more sales.
Auto Accident Involving Dram Shop
If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, what can you do? Your personal injury attorney will look into all the ways to compensate you for your injuries.
Many drivers only carry minimum auto insurance policies. A person who is unable to control a few thousand-pound vehicle can cause a lot of damage. If their insurance does not cover your damages, we need to look at other avenues for insurance.
Under the dram shop laws, bars and restaurants generally carry policies in excess of $1,000,000. If the evidence supports that they knew the defendant was drunk and they still gave him alcohol, they could be held responsible.
Conclusion
Have you been involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver? Get the experts on your side. There may be multiple ways to compensate you for your damages. Don’t add insult to injury by reducing your possible recovery.
The big insurance companies want us to believe that everyone loses after an accident. They are the ones collecting premiums in preparation for this type of event. Don’t limit your recovery.
